Ambitious Queen Marie plays at the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto
Playing at the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto’s Distillery District, Queen Marie is an engaging musical tribute to “great big girl” Marie Dressler. Dressler, whom I knew nothing of previously even though she won an Academy Award and acted with Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin, was an Ontario-born comic actor whose theatrical career spanned decades, right into the first “talkies”. Continue reading Review: Queen Marie (Alumnae Theatre)→
Two challenging, unconventional works currently playing on the Toronto stage
Tell Me What It’s Called and Mr. Truth are the latest examples of the quality independent theatre that the RISER Project has built its reputation on supporting. They are also the latest reasons why The Theatre Centre remains a leading space for risk-taking on stage.
Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of April 23rd, 2018
Toronto live theatre for the week of April 23rd, 2018. There is something for everyone on Toronto’s stages this week. Our Publisher Megan is on hand with a few of her top picks in red. Check them out below the cut:
Where There’s A Will comes to the Alumnae in Toronto
Sawitri Theatre‘s Where There’s A Will, currently playing at the Alumnae Theatre, is a wildly clever two-act comedy penned by renowned Indian playwright Mahesh Dattani. The play shines a light on the lives of a dysfunctional middle-class Indian family as they verbally duke out their deep-seated inter-familial qualms.
First performed in 1639, The Return of Ulysses by Claudio Monteverdi is currently being produced by Opera Atelier. It is one of the earliest operas you are likely to see performed on a 21st century stage. The timelessness of this universally-known story likely has something to do with the work’s ongoing popularity. It’s based on the second half of Homer’s Odyssey, wherein Ulysses (Odysseus), the King of Ithaca, returns home to his faithful wife Penelope. In order to reclaim his kingdom and his wife, he must fight off three evil suitors with a little help and hindrance from the gods. The Opera Atelier production is beautifully rendered and, as usual, a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. Continue reading Review: The Return of Ulysses (Opera Atelier)→
I and You is “powerful”, “gut-wrenching”, “beautiful”, on stage at the Tarragon in Toronto
Lauren Gunderson’s I and You, an Outlook Theatre production now playing at the Tarragon Extraspace, falls squarely into the teen “sick-lit” genre of books like The Fault In Our Stars, where chronically, seriously ill high schoolers are humanized and given a chance to speak, explore life and death, and even find love.
Gunderson was the most-produced playwright in America (save Shakespeare) by far this past year, and it’s clear why. Her play is witty and self-aware; it’s charming, well-constructed and features nuanced, likable characters that challenge our assumptions and stereotypes about both teenagers and the chronically ill. It feels very safe and comforting, with enough theatrical flourish to bely that safety and not seem generic.
Mirvish brings the Tony Award winning new musical Fun Home to Toronto audiences
Fun Home, currently playing at the CAA Theatre, is one of those musicals that defies easy description. It’s so full of contradictions. At once funny and heartbreaking, uplifting and tragic, elegant and chaotic, it nevertheless balances all of these elements with expert precision and utter commitment to all of the messy, complex layers of its central plot: a lesbian cartoonist attempts to draw a true, authentic portrayal of her gay father, and in doing so must confront the fact that he killed himself a mere four months after she came out to her family.
Simply put, Fun Home feels like something new and innovative in the musical theatre world, and has since it originally opened on Broadway. This Canadian production absolutely upholds the reputation of the multi-award winning show (which includes the 2015 Tony for Best Musical). Continue reading Review: Fun Home (Mirvish/The Musical Stage Co.)→
Live theatre shows in Toronto with ticket prices of $25 or less, playing the week of April 17th, 2018. Perfect for the budget-conscious theatre-goer. This week’s selections some seriously seductive women-focused shows! And more! Check them out below the cut:
Brave the weather for Risky Phil, now on stage in Toronto
My young guest and I headed out to see Risky Phil–a new play by Paula Wing, currently on stage at Young People’s Theatre–in the middle of an April ice storm. We thought it was a little crazy to be venturing outside, but the TTC gods smiled on us , and we arrived safely. In the end, we were glad we made the effort: Risky Phil is a charming play about fathers and sons, friendship, and figuring out how to be a family when your trust has been broken. Continue reading Review: Risky Phil (Young People’s Theatre)→
Ambitious Queen Marie plays at the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto
Where There’s A Will comes to the Alumnae in Toronto
I and You is “powerful”, “gut-wrenching”, “beautiful”, on stage at the Tarragon in Toronto
Mirvish brings the Tony Award winning new musical Fun Home to Toronto audiences
Opera blends with puppetry in a breathtaking performance captivating Toronto audiences
Brave the weather for Risky Phil, now on stage in Toronto